Stocking and method of making same



Patented Sept. 28, i926.

- t 'i' S 'il rif F. Gi

agrar CHARLES S. HOLDEN, JOHN FROBERTS, AND ROGER M. HOLDEN, 0EWORCESTER,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO HOLDEN KNITTING CO., OF WORCESTER, MASSA-CHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

STOCKING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Application filed April 7, 1924. Serial No. 704,713.

Our invention relates to stockings and has for its object to provide amethod of making an improved stocking that is Aadapted to be knitted ona single circular knitting machine in the vgeneral shape of a humanfoot, without necessitating the use of special mechanism to form theheel and toe.

Another object of our invention is to'provide a stocking that isparticularly adapted to be worn in connection with rubber boots andsimilar foot wear, by reason of the fact thata. portion of the stockingis made of double thickness in order to lill up the space over theinstep and around the ankle, and to provide increasedlwear at the heelof a boot, while the toe'portionv of the stocking is of single thicknessso as to provide ampleroom at the toe of the boot.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a stocking thatwill remainat any desired height on the limb of a wearer, by reason ofthe incorporation in the stocking of an elastic at the proper place.

The above and other advantageous features of our invention willhereinafter more fully appear, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Fig. l is a plan view of a length of tubular knittedmaterial, from which the stocking is made. K

Fig. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of a completed stocking made fromthe length shown in Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3 is a view of the stocking shown in Fig. 2 applied to the foot ofa wearer, parts of the stocking being broken away to illustrate themanner in which it fits the foot.

Fig. 4 is a modification of the stocking shown in Fig. 2.

Like reference characters refer to like part-s in the different figures.n

Referring to Fig. l, a length of material, generally tubular in form,isprodueed by a suitable circular knitting machine with a toe portion lknitted in a plain rib stitch. That portion of the material extendingfrom the line ato the line c*d is then knitted with a portion 2 in plainrib stitch, while the other rportion 8 is knitted with a tuck stitch. Inknitting the portions 2 and 3, successive continuous courses areknitted, partially in plain rib stitch and partially in tacit stitch,and the portions if, and

emerge from the machine, the fabric takes the form of an arc between thelines a-b and G-Z because of the fact that the tuck stitch portion 3contains only one half the number of stitches in the rib stitch portion2 for al given number of courses, each tuck stitch containing twice asmuch yarn as a rib stitch.

A portion 4, extending from the line c-Z to the line e-f is then knittedwith a plain rib stitch just as the portion l, after which portions 5and 6 are knitted to the line g-L with a. rib stitch and a tuck stitch,respectively, and of the same length as the rib stitch portion 2 and thetuck stitch portion 8. The completed fabric then appears with alternatestraight and curved portions, as clearly shown in Fig. l.

inl a. preferred form of our invention, an

elastic band 7 is then placed around the rib knit portion 4 atsubstantially its middle, after which the mixed knit portions 5 and 6are pulled down over the mixed knit portions 2 and 3 until the line g-Ldefining the ends of the portions 5 and 6 substantially coincides withthe line a-b. The

portions 5 and 6 are then secured in this position in any suitablemanner, as by stitching, after which the end of the toe portion l isalso closed in any suitable manner, as by looping, the completedstocking then being turned inside-out and appearing as shown in Fig. 2.It is apparent that the completed stocking approximates the shape of ahuman foot with the curved portions of double thickness.

Referring to Fig. 3, the stocking is there shown as having been appliedto a human foot, the toes being covered by only the portion l of singlethickness. The double thickness of the stocking, comprising the portions2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, begins in the arch of the foot just behind the ball,and continues around the heel and upwardly to a point just above theankle bone. It is apparent that the elastic band 7 beinglocated justabove the enlargement of the ankle bone, will serve to hold the stockingin place on the foot, although if desired, the band may be omitted.

A boot properly proportioned to receive the 'foot shown in Fig. 3, isindicated in dotted lines, from which is apparent that sniff the toeportieri ef the stceirng-sfhf=h is of single thickness, will be receivedin the toe of the boot, which is adapted to incase the foot tightly.That portion of the stocking which is of double thickness, however, islocated in the instep and heel portions t' the boot, which portions mustnecessai-ily be made large enough to admit the whole foot of the wearer.The double portion of the stocking therefore tends to till up the spaceover the instep and ankle and at the heel of the wearers foot without inany way crowding that portion of the foot received in the toe of theboot.

It is well known to those who are accustomed to wearing rubber boots,that when the foot is covered by a stocking which is thin enough to becomfortably received in the toe of a boot, there is always aconsiderable amount of play over the instep and ankle and at the heel,which results in chafing the foot of the wearer, and in wearing ont thestocking. It is also well known that a stocking thick enough to iit atall closelyv at the instep, ankle and heel, will severely cramp the toesof the wearer and thereby interfere with the circulation of blood in thefoot, with resulting numbness and coldness.

It will be apparent from an inspection of F ig. 3, that our improvedstocking is adapted te overcome both of the above mentionedobjectionable features, by reason of the fact that it provides a fabricof single thickness in the toe portion of a boot and a fabric of doublethickness in the instep and heel portions of a boot. The fact that thestocking is of double thickness at these places also insures greaterwearing qualities, because of the fact that the two layers may rub uponeach other. t is also obvious that the position of the stocking on thefoot will vary for difl'erent wearings, because of the absence of aclosely fitted heel, thereby distributing the wear. The stocking may bealso worn with either side out, so as to obtain wear on both layers ofthe fabric.

Furthermore. the fact that the stocking terminates just above the ankleof the wearer, insures there will always be an air space in that portionof the boot above the ankle, thereby providing the necessary ventilationof the boot. Our improved stocking naturally adapts itself to the shapeof a foot of any size, without wrinkling, as dis-- tinguished fromstockings with fitted heels.

Referring now to Fig. li, there is shown a modification of the stockingshown in Fig. l, in which the rib stitched portion S is eX- tendedconsiderr-.blifv beyond the combined ribbed and tucked stitched portions9 and l() which impart the desired form to that portion of the stockingwhich is adapted to be received on the foot of the wearer. The portion 8is ad pted to extend to a point above or below the knee when thestocking is worn, so as to provide a stocking of double thicknesscovering the entire lower leg of the wearer. rllhe slot-king shown i1;Fig. l is preferably provided with an cias tic band ll at the upper endot the portion 8 so that the stocking will be held in position. Thestocking shown in Fia' t icularly adapted for use where desired, as whenwearing boots in the winter time, when ventilation of a boot is not ofany particular importance.

Tile claim,

1. A knitted stocking providing a toe portion having a single thicknessof fabric and a fashioned instep portion having a double thickness offabric.

9. A knitted stocking having a toe portion of less thickness than the.remainder of said stocking.

3. A stocking comprising a length of tnbular knitted material pulledback on itself 51 rib knit toe portion and a fashioned instep '7i andheel portion having double the thickness of the toe portion.

5. A stocking comprising a plain rib knit toe portion and a fashionedinstep portion having two layers of falnic,'one of which terminates justbehind the ball of the foot when the stocking is applied.

6. A knitted stocking comprising a plain rib knit toe portion, afashioned instep and heel portion having double the thickness ot the toeportion, the upper part of said latter portion being made with a tuckrib stitch.

7. A knitted stocking comprising a plain rib knit toe portion of singlethickness, an upper instep portion of double thickness made with a ribtuck stitch, and a double heel port-ion of double thickness made with aplain rib stitch.

S. A knitted stocking providingl a toe portion of single thickness offabric and an up per instep portion of double thickness made with tuckrib stitching thereby to forni a thickened portion to take up the spacebetween the upper part of the instep ot a human foot and a boot.

9. The method of making knit stockings which consists in nuiking` acontinuous length of tubular fabric of two portions of plain rib stitchalternating with two portions of plain and tuck .stitch` the latterportions having all the rib tuck stitches at corresponding parts of theseveral courses of said portions, then pulling one of the latterportions over until it overlaps the other of said portions, thusproducing a stocking having a single thickness at the toe. a doublethickness at the instep with the said tuck stitches at the upper partofsaid instep.

l0. The method of making knit stockings which consists in making acontinuous a single thickness at the toe, a double thick- 10 length oftubular fabric of two portions of plain rib stitch alternating,l Withtwo portions of plain and tuck stitch, the latter portions having allthe rib tuck stitches at corresponding parts of the several courses ofsaid portions7 then pulling one of the latter portions over until itoverlaps the other of said portions, thus producing a stocking havingness at the instep with the said tuck stitches at the upper part of saidinstep, and a double thickness of plain rib stitch thereabove.

CHARLES S. HOLDEN. JOHN F. ROBERTS. ROGER M. HOLDEN.

